Chapter Text
Abolish paces around the crypt, mind stuck on Shelby’s words.
He had never heard the fairy tale, though perhaps that could be forgiven, since he’d scarcely left the castle in six hundred years– the only major exception being when he wandered down to the town to collect Louis’ ashes and invite his fledgling for a proper burial. Owen had, blessedly, stayed quite cooperative since then.
Now, he keeps finding his gaze straying towards the coffin his Lord rested in, remembering against his will that night before he lost everything, that wretched night that he’d so far been able to put out of his mind.
The best night of his life.
He shakes his head, trying to oust the memory.
For a moment, he argues with himself. Shelby said, quite distinctly, that “True Love’s Kiss” was the thing that woke the princess, but that was unbelievably vague. How was he supposed to know if he had that qualifier? How was he supposed to know that it would even work?
Unfortunately, every single argument is shot down with a simple one. Of course he loves him– it was the thing that had kept him here six hundred years. As for the other, as Shelby so brilliantly put it, he won’t know until he tries.
So he moves the coffin lid aside, a pang in his heart at the sight of his ever-sleeping lord. He had already fed him that day, as was his routine, so looking at him a second time only caused unnecessary hurt.
Now, though, he supposes it’s necessary after all.
He traces a hand along Scott’s cheek, letting out a shaky sigh. In this place, he hadn’t needed to hide, didn’t need his careful mask.
His lord doesn’t like it when he hid, after all.
“Forgive me for this.” He pleads quietly. He’s more than overstepping his rank in this situation– it was closer to treason, in fact.
Carefully, silently, Abolish presses a kiss to Scott’s lips, ignoring the way his heart begins to pound.
As he pulls away, he watches carefully for any sign of life, and when he sees none for a long moment, his heart begins to sink. He ought to know better, really. Hope is a useless thing, after so many years, why would he have allowed himself to be infected with it? And by a children’s tale, no less?
“Foolish.” he chides himself as he stepped away, ignoring the way his eyes burn with tears.
“What’s foolish?”
Abolish could have hurt himself with how quickly he turns back, letting the coffin lid clatter to the ground.
There sits Scott, pushing himself upright, blood red eyes the very same beauty Abolish had lost.
Abolish brings a hand to his mouth to muffle the sob that escapes him. Shame there isn’t anything he can do about the tears.
Scott laughs at the sound, and lord, there’s something Abolish had almost thought he would never hear again. If he hadn’t been crying already, he certainly would be now.
“Come here, darling.” His lord whispers, and Abolish is moving before he even truly hears it, and Scott is tugging him into an embrace and it’s all just too much. His body shakes with sobs as his lord tucks his head into his shoulder, whispers kind words in his ear, traces gentle shapes down his back.
It feels like going mad, but if this is madness, he’s not sure he wants to be sane.
He tries, for several minutes, to pull himself together. No attempt works. Every time he’s just reminded of who is holding him, and he breaks down again, only made worse when he feels Scott press a kiss against his hair.
There’s no telling how much time had passed when he finally managed to regain enough composure to stop his tears and assist his lord in climbing out of his resting place. However much time it took, it was too long.
“Now, I do believe I need to be brought up to speed.”
Abolish nods, straightening his uniform, and begins to describe just what had happened over the course of the past six hundred years.
Scott listens carefully. As much as whispers were shared among servants back then of their lord’s impatience, Abolish had always known better. He’s beyond patient, really, he simply suffers no fools.
But god knows everyone in that damned place was a fool.
“It is thanks to one such settler,” Abolish is explaining, “A young woman named Shelby, that I was able to wake you.”
“Oh? Well, then, I suppose we ought to thank her. What’s the thing that did it, I wonder?”
Abolish’s heart picks up. He doesn’t miss the way his lord’s smile twitches wider at the sound.
“A fairy tale, my lord. They shared with me a tale of a princess cursed to sleep, hidden away in a castle locked shut by briars, woken by what they called ‘true love’s kiss’.”
He couldn’t help the flush that rose on his face as he explained.
“True love’s kiss, hm? I suppose, then,” Scott sweeps a hand up to tilt Abolish’s jaw ever-so-slightly, eyes gleaming. “That I should be thanking you?”
His breath hitches.
“I-I am the only one around who was there back then, my lord. I–”
“Yes… and you’ve waited a long time, haven’t you?”
“…Yes, my lord.” he breathes.
“Then I do believe your patience ought to be rewarded, hm?”
Scott is standing closer now, and it’s only through centuries of professionalism that Abolish manages to keep from shaking.
“Look at you,” Scott is whispering, crowding Abolish back against the wall of the crypt. “The very picture of perfection. I chose well, it seems.”
Abolish clings to what’s left of his composure like a lifeline, pressing himself against the wall so he wouldn’t crumble.
A hand traces, feather-light, along his arm, wrapping around his wrist, clawed fingers pressing against his pulse to count it.
Not that there’s any need. They both know the vampire can hear every minute flutter.
The hand on his jaw moves back to cradle the back of his neck, claws tangling into his hair, and without warning, Scott dives down to capture Abolish’s lips.
He can’t help the whine that escapes him at the feeling of cold lips pressed against his, nor can he help the way his hands shoot up to cling to Scott’s waistcoat, tugging it slightly out from where it’s tucked beneath his corset, wrinkling the material. Every thought is quickly being purged from his mind– this is becoming all he can focus on, the rest of the world falling away. It’s so easy to forget the near-heartbreak, the stress of being trapped here, the distrust of the townsfolk, when Scott is kissing the oxygen from his lungs.
When he’s finally allowed to breathe, he finds he has no use for the air he’s gasping for. All he wants or needs is those lips on his, Scott’s cold skin against his own, and his lord is oh so willing to indulge him, pulling him in for a deeper kiss, cold tongue invading his mouth, sharp fangs grazing the thin skin of his lip– the feeling pulls another whine from him, this one louder, more desperate, and he can feel Scott’s lips twitch into a smile, chuckling into the kiss. It’s a sound he longs to hear again.
Sounds turn distant as he loses access to oxygen, and he finds he doesn’t mind at all. His lord could kill him this way, and he would be delighted.
Alas, he’s not allowed to die like this, and Scott pulls away. Abolish isn’t quite sound of mind enough to hold back the pathetic whimper that rips itself from his throat. He wants that closeness, wants to lose himself completely, wants–
Scott laughs again, and Abolish’s eyes flutter in contentment.
“My, you have been alone for a long time, haven’t you? Have you truly waited for me alone, all this time?”
Abolish tries to get his mind together enough to reply, but it’s simply too slow. His lord laughs again, sending the pieces scattering.
“Very good, my dear. You’ve been so patient.”
Scott pulls him close again, another embrace.
Again, Abolish loses track of time as his lord holds him close. He scrambles to regain composure, but the claws carding through his hair and gently scratching at his scalp are making that exceedingly difficult.
His lord had always enjoyed breaking his mask, after all.
Finally, he manages to pull away– not far, of course, he’s still trapped against the wall– but enough to adjust his uniform again, pretending Scott’s gaze tracing the motions isn’t about to drive him mad.
“Now, I’ll have to send you to bring my thanks to that Shelby girl in town– I expect my appearance there will only cause alarm, from what you’ve told me– but I’d like to finish thanking my savior first, if you’ll allow me.”
Mary, mother of Jesus.
Abolish wakes from his deep slumber to the embrace of a man he’d been waiting centuries for. He doesn’t bother opening his eyes, rather he sinks further into the comfort, into the dull pain of the bruises on his neck and scratches on his back. A low chuckle rumbles through the chest he’s pressed against, arms looping around the human’s waist. Abolish lets out a contented sigh.
“Good morning, my dear.” A smooth voice greets him, lips pressing sweetly against his temple.
“Mm. Is it really morning?” he asks, voice low and gravely– both from their… activities… the night before, and from lack of use.
“Ah, no, it’s afternoon, I believe. You slept a long time.”
“Mmm.” He tucks himself further into the crook of Scott’s neck, basking in the way his skin had warmed it.
“Would you like to go back to sleep, dearest?” His lord asks softly, claws tracing up his bare back to card though his hair. “I can be patient, you know. You waited so much longer for me, after all.”
Abolish doesn’t respond right away, letting his body remind itself what it’s supposed to feel like.
“Mm. No, it’s alright. I’m awake.”
“Very good, my dear. You have a message to deliver for me, after all.”
Abolish stretches lazily, enjoying the difference in the temperature of his lord’s skin between where he’d been warmed by Abolish’s hold and where the cold of the castle met the sheets. Slowly his eyes blink open, and he’s greeted with the gorgeous image of his lord staring down at him, a look in his eyes Abolish is too afraid to analyze.
“Although, I certainly won’t complain if you’d rather stay in bed a while longer.” Scott purrs, red eyes tracing down Abolish’s neck to admire the marks he had placed there.
“Hm. Maybe a few more minutes.”
Scott grins, tugging Abolish ever closer.
If they don’t make it out of bed at all that day, well, that’s their own business.
Abolish can’t quite restrain the smile on his face as much as he’d like as he finally makes his way back to town. It had taken some time to finally pull himself away from Scott’s arms, desperate as he was to stay close. Not that his lord seemed to mind, from the way he kept indulging him.
Regardless, he has a message to deliver to Shelby, and thanks to offer her on his own behalf.
It’s evening, now, the sun hanging low in the sky, dying the clouds a brilliant shade of red– though none would ever compare to the eyes he had waited so long to see.
He manages to not pass anyone on his way through the forest, somehow, by pure luck. He’s thankful for it– he doesn’t want to deal with much questioning.
Even luckier, Shelby is just outside town when he arrives, walking back from gathering… something. He calls out to them, helpless to stop the cheer in his voice.
“Oh, Abolish!” They reply, face splitting into a grin. “There you are, we were wondering where you disappeared to!”
He allows a laugh.
“That’s something I’d like to discuss with you, actually, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, sure! Let me just drop this off with Pearl,” They motion to the bag across her shoulder. “I’ll meet you at my place!”
“Thank you,” He bows to her, setting off to make his way around the walls to the other side of town. Perhaps it’s somewhat duplicitous of him, but, well, there are few people in town he actually enjoys the company of rather than mere tolerance, and he would like to avoid contact with any of the others.
Shelby is one, their hopeful and kind demeanor and tenacious nature making for excellent conversation, aided by their knowledge of both literature and legend. Cleo is another, though they’re harder to have a full conversation with. He appreciates their skepticism and cautious attitude, though they have a standoffishness that make them difficult to approach at times. The good doctor is the third, though Abolish knows there’s more to the man than meets the eye. He’s pleasant enough company, he supposes, though he tends to resent any indication that he might be wrong about things like the supernatural. Regardless, Abolish can appreciate the scientifically-minded.
He lets himself in to Shelby’s house, glad in this moment for his humanity, pesky as it can be at times. He really quite prefers to not need to loiter outside, where someone could catch him and drag him into meaningless conversation.
Ah, perhaps that’s what he likes about those three, the lack of inane small talk.
Shelby, blessedly, doesn’t take too long to return.
“Pearl says hi!” Is the first thing she says. “She offered to come with me to talk to you, but I figured there was a reason you didn’t just come with me, so I turned her down.”
“I appreciate it. I might go say hello after our conversation, but I’d like this to be private.” He smiles, taking his usual seat in their home. They sit down in the chair across from him, as they usually do, and cross their legs, having removed their armor.
“So! You seem to be in a good mood.” She grins, lacing her fingers together and resting their chin on their hands. Abolish flushes, though he can’t help the way his smile widens.
“Yes, your advice was, em. Quite helpful, we’ll say.”
They beam, clapping their hands together in delight. “Oh, good! He’s awake, then?”
“He is, yes. I wanted to come thank you– I would never have thought of such a solution on my own.”
“I still can’t believe you’ve never heard of that story! I thought it was ancient!”
“Well, regardless of how old it is, I’ve never been one to indulge in tall tales. But then again, I suppose vampires seem quite far-fetched to most…”
Shelby giggles. “Well, you’re welcome! Oh, I’m so happy for you! And, well, I guess I know why we haven’t seen you in a few days, huh?” They tease, and Abolish clears his throat.
“Anyway.” He moves on and changes the subject– though he can’t miss Shelby’s snicker. “My lord also wanted to send his thanks. He’d have come personally, but, well, with all the chatter around, it was safer for everyone if he stayed at the castle.”
“Oh, it’s okay! No thanks needed! It’s not like I did much.”
“Regardless, he’d like to offer you a boon. There’s not much he can do while trapped within Oakhurst, but rest assured he will do everything in his power to fulfill any request.”
“Huh?”
“It’s alright if you can’t think of anything right away. Regardless, you are a friend of the Goldsmith coven, and are welcome in the castle whenever you like.” He smiles.
“Geez, that’s… That kind of feels like a big offer, right? Goldsmith is, like, a really powerful vampire, isn’t he?”
“Indeed, and his coven is one of the most powerful of all vampiric nobility.”
“Wow. That… feels like a lot.”
“My lord repays good help quite handsomely.”
“Wow.” They mutter again. “I… really wasn’t expecting that.”
Abolish laughs, just softly. “Anything you like, Shelby, my lord will give you. Please, do come to the castle when you decide– he’s quite excited to meet you.”
“Geez, okay! Um, tell him thank you from me, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course. I should be going now. Thank you again.”
“Yeah, of course! See you, Abolish!”
He lets himself out, and begins the walk home, praying his luck sticks through and he doesn’t run into anyone else.
Unfortunately, the gods have never listened to his prayers, as he’s hardly out of the town when Cleo spots him. As much as he likes them, he simply isn’t in the mood for the interrogation he was absolutely about to receive.
“There you are, Abolish! We haven’t seen you in days, where have you been?”
“Tending to the castle, of course. My apologies, I’ve fallen behind on my duties, so I had to take some time to focus on it.”
Her eyes narrow, and he sighs inwardly.
“And what exactly were you doing in town?”
“Visiting Shelby.” He says simply, hoping against hope that they’d let that be enough.
“Really? You disappear for nearly three days, and you come back just to talk to Shelby?”
Of course it wasn’t going to be enough.
“Yes.” He deadpans.
“No, I don’t believe that.”
“Well, I’m afraid the details of our conversation are quite personal in nature.” He folds his hands behind his back, keeping his expression carefully blank so as not to scowl.
Cleo does scowl. “So personal that you just had to come to town, avoid talking to anyone else, and disappear again before anyone else noticed?”
“Shelby told Pearl I was here.”
“And you didn’t tell anybody.”
“Again. Personal.”
“You’re being very suspicious.”
This time, he can’t suppress the roll of his eyes.
“Yes, yes, everyone thinks I’m suspicious.” He says dismissively. “Don’t tell me you’re starting to believe Avid’s constant accusations? I thought you were sensible, Cleo.”
“Maybe if you were around, we wouldn’t be.”
“I will not shirk my duties just to avoid suspicion. I do not care about the politics of this town. My duty lies in Chateau Goldsmith, not in Oakhurst.”
Cleo narrows their eyes again and scrutinizes him for a long moment, before they finally sigh..
“Fine, go back to the castle, but don’t be surprised if Martyn gets it into his head to come kill you.”
“As if he could manage. Have a good evening, Cleo.”
With that, he finally departs.
Abolish is tending to his lord in the library– one of the parts of the castle he had taken extra care to maintain, given how his lord favors it– when there’s a knock at the castle door.
Scott glides after him as he goes to open it. Unsurprising, given how excited he’d been to meet one of the townsfolk; wanting to appraise them, he’s sure.
“Hi Abolish!” Shelby smiles, bouncing on the balls of their feet. “May I come in? I, uh, thought about S– um, Lord Goldsmith’s offer.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Scott’s voice curls around them, and Shelby’s golden eyes stray up to meet the vampire’s deep red ones. “Yes, please do come in.”
Abolish steps aside to allow Shelby inside, not missing how she fidgets with the hem of her sweater. An understandable reaction, with the air of paranoia a third level vampire tends to exude by their very nature. An air Abolish has long since found himself immune to, with how long he’d been working with vampires.
“So, you’re the scholar Abolish has spoken so much about. It’s truly a pleasure, my dear.”
Scott bows deeply, hand over the place his heart had once been, gaze never straying from the young woman.
“I must offer my thanks once again, miss Shelby.”
“Oh, um, it’s really no trouble! I didn’t really do anything! I’m just a normal person, really.”
The vampire laughs, straightening up to observe them properly.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Now, go on, what can I do for you?”
She fidgets with her sweater a little more, shifting from side to side, chewing on her lip.
“U-uh, I don’t really know how you’re gonna interpret this, but, um…” they begin, twisting their hands together.
Their volume drops dramatically. “I– I’d like a place to belong.”
Scott grins, slender fangs on full display.
“Now, that is most certainly something I can provide.”
He takes a step forward, holding out a hand to them.
“Shelby, I would like to extend an invitation to become a part of my coven. It would, of course, require you to become a vampire, but I think you’ll find very few downsides.”
Abolish finds himself smiling at the thought.
“I– really?” Shelby tugs at the ends of her sleeves.
“Of course, my dear. I would not offer it if I didn’t mean it.”
“Wow, um, okay!” She smiles. “Thank you, uh, sir?”
“Call me Scott, my dear.” He steps ever closer and places a hand on their shoulder, tucking their hair behind their ear to expose their neck. “Now, please hold still. It will go faster that way.”
“Right.” she says resolutely, tilting her head aside. Abolish is, frankly, surprised at her willingness. She barely even flinches when Scott’s fangs breach her skin.
All the more reason to admire them, he supposes.
When they finally fall limp, Scott lifts them carefully into his arms and turns back to face Abolish.
“My love, would you be a dear and help me prepare a room for them?” He requests sweetly. Abolish smiles.
“Of course, my lord.”
But as they turn to make their way to the west wing of the castle, there’s a loud pounding at the door. Abolish sighs and moves to open it.
“Ah. Those vampires you mentioned, I assume?” Scott sounds utterly bored. Abolish shares the sentiment.
“I believe so, my lord.” He replies as he pulls it open, revealing Owen standing on their doorstep, a confused look on his face as Pyro drops out of his bat form to stand beside him.
“Well, then, let them in! I’d like to meet our new neighbors.”
Owen blinks.
“Come inside,” Abolish invites, stepping back to allow them through.
Owen’s gaze darts between Abolish, Scott, and Shelby’s limp form in his lord’s arms. Pyro’s is stuck on Scott alone.
“Who are you?” Owen growls.
“Scott Goldsmith, at your service.” Scott offers a shallow curtsy in lieu of a bow. “Owen and Pyro, I presume? Abolish has already told me about you.”
The brown-haired vampire takes an aborted step back, eyes widening in recognition.
“Oh, you’ve heard of me, have you?” Scott grins. “Not to worry, my dear, there’s no need to fear me. Not yet, at least.”
Owen swallows.
“You– Abolish, I thought you were–” Pyro stammers.
“I’m human. My continued survival is a matter of magic I don’t care to understand.” he cuts them off dismissively.
“Well, I’m sorry we can’t stay and chat much longer. This one needs time to properly turn.” Scott croons, false sweetness dripping from his words as he holds up the young woman in his arms. “You’re welcome to return once they’re awake, and we can discuss the conditions of your… continued residence, in this place.”
Pyro opens their mouth, perhaps to argue, but Owen’s hand shoots up to cover it.
“Of course, Lord Goldsmith. We’ll, uh, we’ll get out of your hair.”
He pulls Pyro with him out the door, the fledgling hissing out a question. Abolish might have stayed and listened, but he has to attend to his lord and Shelby, so he simply turns to continue his duties, with Scott leading the way.
Shelby wakes up slowly.
There are hazy memories of wakefulness swimming in their head. They vaguely recall a metallic taste on their tongue, sweet and addicting, and a voice smooth like silk coaxing them to drink. They remember kind words and a gentle hand in their hair, and another familiar voice speaking softly when the first was away.
Now, though, she’s alone in a beautiful room, cradled in a massive bed, staring up at a black tulle canopy.
She slowly convinces herself to sit up, though she’s so comfortable she really doesn’t want to. Honestly, the thread count on these sheets must be insane.
Beside them on the night-table sit beautiful clothes folded neatly, a letter penned in beautiful script and golden ink resting atop them.
Shelby,
You are welcome to wear these if you like. They were once owned by a member of my coven, though she’s long dead now. She won’t miss them. I believe you’ll quite like them.
The note is signed by Scott Goldsmith, and Shelby can’t help but take note of the beautiful looping signature.
They carefully set it aside and pick up the clothes, admiring the craftsmanship. Admittedly, they don’t know much about tailoring, but they’re pretty sure they were handmade.
After they put them on, they look around the room for a moment to find a mirror before they remember.
Oh yeah. Vampire. Probably can’t see my reflection anyway.
Regardless, they feel perfect. Looking down at them, she can’t help but smile– the fabric is soft and the clothes fit them near-perfectly, none of the seams rubbing against their skin.
More than that, they’re delightfully macabre, dark with a batwing motif, thin gold chains decorating the skirt and bodice, and an appealing asymmetry to the loose sleeves that Shelby is already partial to.
It really does just feel like something a vampire should wear.
Shelby all but skips out of the room, allowing a bright smile to take over her face, and begins to wander the castle.
The architecture is beautiful, the stone walls well-maintained. Abolish had clearly done a very good job. Even the paintings remain brilliantly colorful, despite having been there for so many centuries. Shelby supposes since they aren’t exactly ever seeing the sun, they can be preserved far longer than normal.
Shelby is admiring one such painting– one of a man with blue hair and eyes who otherwise looked a lot like Scott– when Abolish walks up beside them.
“You’re awake,” He observes, startling Shelby into jumping nearly a foot in the air. He looks briefly like he’s trying to hold back laughter.
“Y-yeah, hi. Um, sorry, I just, uh–”
“No need to apologize. You’re just awake a little sooner than we expected is all, or Scott would have been there to greet you.”
“Really? How long were you expecting me to be asleep?”
“Another day, at least. You only took forty-nine hours to fully turn. Quite impressive, honestly.”
“Oh! I’ve been asleep for two days?”
“You have, yes.”
Abolish looks up at the painting, a soft look in his eyes.
“It looks like Scott.” She observes, looking back up at it too.
“It is Scott. He had it commissioned the year he was turned– before he rose to the third level. Hence why his hair wasn’t white, yet.”
“Vampires’ hair changes color?”
Abolish hums an affirmative. “As a vampire grows more powerful, they look less human. We brought you to level two, just so you wouldn’t have to hunt on your own too much. Less risk this way.”
“Oh. Is that why I’m paler?”
“It is, yes. And you shouldn’t need your glasses anymore, either. They’ll likely just give you a headache, if you wear them much longer.”
They blink, then pull their glasses off their face and look around, marveling at the new sharpness of their vision.
“Woah.”
Abolish laughs.
“Lord Goldsmith is in the library, if you’d like to come say hello.”
“Oh, sure! Can I look around, too?”
“Of course.”
Shelby follows easily, only stumbling a little on the slightly uneven steps.
It’s late afternoon when Shelby realizes she should probably go back to town. Just to make sure the townsfolk don’t start thinking Abolish killed her again.
Scott had laughed at that, joking that it would be rude of them to give Abolish credit for his hard work. Shelby nearly fell out of her chair with the force of her laughter.
The elder vampire bids them both farewell, since Abolish had decided to accompany Shelby back to town. Just to make sure no one tried anything, he had explained. Shelby had no problems with it.
Not that they had made it very far from the castle when they spot the townspeople, nearly all of them gathered on their way up through the forest.
“Oh, hi guys!” Shelby calls out, startling Martyn so bad he nearly drops his sword. “We were just on our way back!”
“Shelby!” Avid cries. “We thought Abolish killed you!”
Abolish rolls his eyes. “Again? They’re fine.”
“Yeah, I’m fine! I just came up to visit, but I got kinda hurt on my way so Abolish made me stay and heal before I came back to town.”
“What are you wearing?” Cleo narrows their eyes, but Shelby just lights up.
“Isn’t it so cute?” They twirl, showing off the outfit. For a moment, they’re going to reveal where they got it, but they don’t want anyone going and trying to kill Scott, so they decide to lie. Just a little bit. “My clothes were all torn up, so Abolish gave me this!” Really, their shirt and sweater were just bloodstained beyond repair, and Scott had felt this would fit their new life better anyway.
“…It’s kind of… vampire-y, isn’t it?” Avid asks.
“Yeah! I dunno, I know we’re all kind of freaking out about them, but I think vampires are kind of neat! Like, on an aesthetic level.”
Sausage nods seriously in agreement. The town still seems wary, but they put away their weapons, at least.
“Are you guys, like, sleeping together…?” Drift wonders aloud, tilting her head.
Shelby blinks.
“Huh? No.” She shakes her head, brows furrowed in confusion.
“Why would you think that?” Abolish asks with a quirk of his brow.
“Uh, Abolish has, um, on his neck…” Pearl points to a place on her own neck, blushing pink, and Shelby turns to look.
The man had turned bright red, hand flying up to cover the mark. Shelby starts giggling.
“I… forgot that was there.” He admits, and Shelby laughs harder.
“So you are sleeping together?”
Shelby presses their hand against a tree, gasping for air. “No, no, we’re– we’re not. Oh, that’s– that’s too funny.”
“Shut up.” Abolish grumbles. Shelby giggles again, a little breathlessly, though they recover faster this time. “Well, since you’ll all be meeting him eventually, I suppose it can’t be helped.” Abolish sighs, turning to begin walking back to the castle.
“Oh, are we introducing him?”
“If he’s open to being introduced. Come along, everyone, but keep your weapons away. I will not hesitate to cut anyone down.”
Shelby turns back, motioning for the town to come with them, then follows Abolish up the path.
Once everyone had gathered in the foyer, Abolish pushes the door shut, and the lanterns around the room become the only source of light.
“Please stay here.” Abolish requests, though it sounded less like a request and more like a command. “I will go fetch him.”
“I’ll stay here with the town.” Shelby declares. As much as they like them, they know the risk of leaving them all alone in the castle for any amount of time. Abolish nods and walks away, making little to no sound as he moves– at least, none that Shelby can hear. Impressive considering how much more powerful their hearing has become.
When they turn back around, everyone is staring at them. Well, except for Sausage, who’s looking around at the castle itself.
“Is something wrong?”
“Where are your glasses?” Legs asks.
“Huh? Oh, they’re, uh, on my head.” She reaches up and pulls her glasses back down onto her nose, trying not to squint as the lenses blur her vision. “I forgot I wasn’t wearing them.”
“How do you forget?” Cleo shifts their weight onto one foot, looking at Shelby as if trying to puzzle her out.
“I dunno.” They shrug. It wasn’t the first time they’d forgotten about their glasses, even despite the vision problems they no longer had.
“You don’t look injured at all.” Martyn squints, looking over Shelby with scrutiny.
“Yeah, Abolish is good at that kind of thing! Said he learned a thing or two from Legs!”
The Doc nods, though the others don’t look nearly so convinced.
“You look… really pale.” Avid says, fidgeting with the knife on his hip. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine. I just haven’t been outside since I got here. No windows, y’know?”
“I was wondering about that, donchaknow.” Ren speaks up. “What kinda fancy castle don’t got fancy windows?”
“One built by someone who the sun quite disagrees with.” A smooth voice descends from the stairs, though at the same time, it almost seems to come from all around them. “You’ll have to forgive my tardiness. I wanted to make sure I made a good first impression.”
Shelby turns around, smiling, as Scott comes down the stairs the rest of the way, with Abolish trailing behind him.
“Hello, people of Oakhurst.” He says gracefully, looking over them like he was appraising a meal, or calculating how hard his prey would try to fight.
They look back, and are surprised to find the townspeople all but cowering, nearly shaking in fear. Shelby had almost forgotten how afraid they had felt just in Scott’s mere presence, before they were turned. Cleo is the only one who seems mostly unaffected, though Shelby finds they can hear her heartbeat, just as fast as the others.
“Who are you?” She demands, and Scott laughs.
“Scott Goldsmith, at your service.” He bows, just shallow enough to not be totally respectful, but just deep enough that he could do it with a flourish. She finds herself smiling a little wider at his dramatics. “And you must be Cleo. Abolish has told me all about you.”
Cleo swallows, clenching their fists.
“How did you get here? No one can leave or enter Oakhurst right now.”
“Hm? Oh, the barrier, yes, Abolish did tell me about that pesky bit of magic…” He stands tall, towering over the townsfolk, despite being a little bit shorter than Legundo and Ren. “Well, no matter. There was no need for any entry. I was already here.”
“Then how come we didn’t know? Abolish said the castle was empty.” They press.
“Yes, a necessary little lie for the sake of my safety. He’s quite the professional.” Scott smiles, a gleam in his eye. “In truth, I’ve been rather ill for a number of months. It’s only just cleared up, thanks to my dear Abolish.”
“So you’re the one that gave Shelby their new outfit?” Drift prompts, as afraid as she looks.
“I am indeed. It once belonged to an old friend of mine, but we’ve since had a falling out. I figured Shelby would get more use out of it anyway.”
“Y-you’re a vampire.” Avid whispers, horrified, shaking like a leaf.
Scott’s eyes gleam.
“A vampire?” He grins wolfishly, his fangs on full display, and the town collectively holds their breath at the sight. “Well, now, that’s just silly.”
“You are!” He steps back. “You– you turned Shelby, didn’t you? That’s why they’re so pale, and– and why they weren’t wearing their glasses! Because they– you don’t need them anymore, do you?”
“Ooookay! Let’s, uh, calm down,” Shelby tries, but Martyn is drawing his sword, and Ren is sneering at them, and Cleo’s hand is reaching for their axe–
And Scott laughs, low and cruel, freezing all of them in their tracks.
“My, my. You all are a bloodthirsty lot, aren’t you? And here I thought I was the most prone to bite!”
He steps forward, leering at them, but whatever he was going to say is interrupted.
“Guys, really, it’s not a big deal!” Shelby steps up, standing between Scott and the town. “Scott’s really nice, I promise! You just have to get to know him–”
Martyn lunges, snarling about a monster, aiming his sword at Shelby’s throat.
Not that he makes it far.
Scott stands over him, having moved before anyone could react to catch his blade, and glares down at him, his expression cold and deadly.
“Let me make this very clear.” He hisses. “There is a lot I will tolerate. Strangers on my land, intruders in my home, humans traipsing through my forest– I will even tolerate petty attempts on my life.”
He rips the sword from Martyn’s hand and grabs him by the neck, faster than any of them could even see, the cut on his hand blackening as the silver burns his skin.
“But I will not tolerate an attack on my fledgling, especially when they have been so kind as to try to maintain a friendship. I would not have been so civil.”
Scott shoves the blond man to the ground, watching Ren scramble to pull him up.
“If Shelby wasn’t so intent on remaining friends with all of you, I’d have killed you already, just for the insults you’ve hurled at Abolish. Remove yourselves from my castle at once. If I ever hear of an attack on a member of my coven ever again, I will not be so merciful.” He glares. “Do I make myself crystal clear?”
Cleo is the one to nod.
“Good. Get out of my sight.”
They all scramble to leave the castle, though Sausage trails after them a little slower, glancing back at Shelby before he follows.
“…Sorry, Scott.” Shelby mutters, wringing her hands. “I thought they’d be more understanding.”
“Oh, Shelby.” Scott says softly. “It’s not your fault. Humans fear creatures of the night. It’s in their very nature.”
“I wasn’t afraid.” They say, tears beginning to well up in their eyes. “I mean, I guess I kind of was, but it’s not an excuse. I wish they’d just listen to me.”
Scott pulls them into an embrace and Shelby couldn’t help but sink into it, burying their face in his shoulder.
“Because you belong here, my dear. You didn’t fear me because you understood that.”
She nods, letting those words wrap themselves around her heart, and letting herself bask in the comfort they brought.
The next day, Shelby wakes up with conviction in their heart; they’re going to return to town and insist on staying friends, even if they’re something different now.
They think Drift might be willing to hear them out. They’re pretty sure Sausage would be, too. Avid might avoid them, and they should probably avoid Martyn, and they’re sort of worried about Doc trying to cure them, but, regardless, they are not going to take no for an answer!
Abolish gives her a sword as she leaves, one made of steel instead of silver, warning her to avoid enclosed spaces in case she needs to bat away. As much as she hopes it won’t come to that, she heeds his advice.
Scott sent them with a message, that he would welcome any of them except for Martyn into his coven, if they are only willing to join their ranks.
“There’s so much empty space in this castle,” He had swooned. “I miss having a proper coven, a proper family!” Shelby had giggled at his dramatics.
Now, they’re walking back to town, a determined look on their face– not quite noticing the bats flying overhead.
As they approach, they square their shoulders, hold their head high, and called out to Pearl– who was talking to Cleo outside the walls.
“Oh, Shelby!” she calls back, smiling, though it looks a little forced, a little nervous. Cleo, on the other hand, shifts their stance from a relaxed one to one much more guarded. Shelby hopes they’d be able to make them less scared.
She’s careful not to get too close.
“Hi! I wanted to come by and, um, talk? I know yesterday went… pretty terrible. I– I’m not gonna, like, try and convince anyone about Scott, I know he made a pretty bad first impression, and, um, he’s like, super scary, but I still wanna be friends!”
“Oh! Well, um, pretty much everyone’s left town, but I think Drift is home! Come on, let’s at least get inside the walls, then I– er, Cleo can go get her.” Pearl nods to Cleo and then motions for Shelby to join them.
“Okay.” They nod, following after her. They don’t miss the way Pearl rests her hand on her dagger, or the way Cleo hefts their axe over their shoulder. Still, they keep their hand off their sword.
They would prove to them that they were still the same ol’ Shelby.
No matter what it took.
Cleo walks away to go get Drift, leaving Pearl and Shelby to stand near the center of town. The proximity to the beacon is making Shelby a little lightheaded, but they don’t mind. They shift on their feet, fidgeting with the chains on their skirt, looking around the town.
It looks sort of strange now that they don’t need their glasses.
“So… you’re a vampire, huh?” Pearl asks, trying to fill the awkward silence.
“Uh-huh. Scott offered, and it seemed like a pretty good deal– to me, at least. There are some parts that would probably end up being deal-breakers for other people, though.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Well, um… the blood, to start.”
“Oh yeah.”
They giggle. “But, uh, also, the lack of sun, and the food mostly tasting like ash. Sometimes a bit of flavor comes through, but not a lot.”
She winces. “Yikes. Yeah, that sounds rough.”
“And I think I’m gonna miss garlic.”
“Yeah, I’d probably miss it too. Um… what are the upsides, though?”
“Well, the immortality thing is kinda cool. I literally have an eternity to find bigfoot! And I’ll never get sick, injuries heal fast, and I can see almost perfectly in the dark. And the flying! Batting around is awesome, it’s so much fun!” They ramble, only getting more excited as they speak. “And I think the red eyes look really cool, and once I get to level three, my hair will turn white! Just imagine it, never having to bleach your hair to dye it!”
“That does sound nice.” she admits. “I think the lack of food thing would drive me crazy, though.”
“Yeah, it’s really not for everyone. Scott’s more than willing to give anyone who wants it a place at his castle if they become one, but I told him not to hold his breath.”
Pearl giggles.
“You told who not to hold his breath?” Drift asks, walking up to Pearl and Shelby, Cleo right beside her.
“Hi Drift! Uh, Scott told me to invite people to our coven, but I told him after all the threatening he did yesterday it probably wouldn’t land with a lot of people.” She explains.
“And apparently there’s some pretty major downsides to Vampirism that our local vampires failed to explain.” Pearl chuckles.
“What did we fail to explain?” Owen asks from behind Pearl, startling pretty much everyone gathered. Except Shelby, who heard him coming.
“Mostly the can’t-eat-food-thing, it sounds like.” Shelby replies.
Pearl cuts in again, “I mean, the no sun thing sounds like it sucks too…”
“I already rarely went in the sun.” Owen shakes his head. “Though I’ll admit, I do miss fresh bread.”
“Just because we’re both vampires now doesn’t mean I’m gonna, like, help you attack the town, by the way.” Shelby’s brows furrow as they speak. “They’re still my friends.”
Owen rolls his eyes. “You’re still young, so I’ll let it slide for now, but you’ll realize how terrible humans are eventually. Anyway, Scott wanted me to tell you he found a few books he thinks you’ll like, so make sure you stop by the library when you get back.” With that, the vampire shifted and flew away, leaving the group to stare after him.
“Oh…kay then?” Shelby finally says, startling a laugh out of Drift.
“Um… are we still friends? After how badly we all reacted yesterday?” She asks with a wince. Shelby blinks.
“I mean, I’d like to be. You guys are fun. I-I mean, I know Scott was kind of intense yesterday, but he’s just dramatic, to be honest. He likes doing the whole intimidation thing, thinks it’s fun.”
“Well, it’s kinda fair, though, isn’t it? Martyn did attack you…”
“Y-yeah, but–”
“I don’t trust him.” Cleo said, glaring at the forest in the general direction of the castle. “Did he even, like, ask you if you wanted to be a vampire?”
“Yeah. He offered it, and I accepted. I wanted this, Cleo. He didn’t force me.”
She hums noncommittally.
There’s some vague, slightly nervous conversation that follows. Drift had come out without a weapon, at least, but Pearl and Cleo never relax their grip on theirs. Eventually, they all end up sitting in the grass, listening to Drift talk about a novel she had read.
She’s in the middle of explaining a major issue she had with the writing when a loud shriek interrupted them, making Shelby flinch away and cover their ears. Vampire senses are so sensitive…
“Avid! Not so loud!” Drift chides, standing to face Avid, Martyn, and Sausage, who had just come in to town. “Shelby’s not the only one with sensitive hearing!”
“What are they doing here?” the blond snarls, ignoring her, glaring at Shelby and drawing his sword.
“They just came to visit! It’s not like they’re hurting anyone!” Pearl stands as well, getting between Martyn and Shelby. “You don’t have to talk to them, but don’t attack them!”
“It didn’t end well for you last time, anyway.” says Cleo, voice flat. “We’re just talking, leave them alone.”
The argument continues for a while until Martyn finally turns on his heel– probably to go to Ren’s tavern. Sausage walks towards the group, Avid trailing behind him, trying to keep someone between him and Shelby as Drift and Pearl return to their places.
“C’mon, Avid, it’s still Shelby. They haven’t changed, not really. Their teeth are just a little sharper.”Drift tries, offering him a comforting smile.
“And their skin is paler, they don’t need glasses, and drink blood.” He retorts.
“Anyone could drink blood! Only difference is that Shelby needs it.” She argues. “Come on, you know them! Would they hurt you? No!”
Avid looks at her warily. She offers him a smile, carefully hiding her fangs.
“Just give them a shot. You’ll see.”
Without another word, he moves to sit between Drift and Cleo, keeping his eyes on Shelby.
“Hey, uh…” They turn to Sausage as he speaks. “Sorry if this is, like, overstepping… but Abolish and Scott. Are they…?”
“Oh, absolutely.” Shelby doesn’t even hesitate. “100%. I mean, you guys saw, on his neck–”
Drift snorts. “Never thought I’d see the day. He always seemed so uptight!”
“Honestly, I think Scott’s the exception. I’m currently about forty percent sure he’d be fully uninterested in relationships if Scott didn’t exist.” She leans forward, placing her elbows on their knees, when “OH!! Oh my god, Sausage, sit down, sit, I have to tell you this!” She grins, patting the grass beside her. He scrambles to sit.
“Okay, so, I already knew about Scott, right? I was at the castle and happened to find his coffin, Abolish told me about what happened, et cetera et cetera, you get it.” Sausage nods, listening intently. “And I told him about a few stories I’ve read, to sort of, y’know, give him ideas on how to wake him up, because he was miserable and kinda pathetic, and eventually I landed on Sleeping Beauty.”
“Oh?” he leans forward a little.
They nod, switching which leg is under the other. “And he suddenly got real quiet and distant once I got to the part about true love’s kiss, right? And he was, like, muttering to himself about how ridiculous it was, but he was like, really focusing on it, and he was kinda blushing, I think? I dunno, it was dark, but I sure as heck noticed, so I said hey, you won’t know until you try, right? And he, like, kinda acknowledged me without committing, you know?”
“Right.” Drift is leaning in, too, listening to the discussion, and Pearl has scooted a little closer.
“So I went home, and then three days later he comes back with this big smile on his face– well, I mean, it wasn’t that big but he never smiles–”
“Big for his standards.” Cleo nods, motioning for Shelby to continue.
“Right, exactly, and he walked up and was trying to avoid everyone, you know, and he came over to say thank you, right? And, and, I made a joke about them, like, sleeping together, and he didn’t deny it.”
Sausage opens his mouth in an over-dramatic expression of shock. Shelby grins at it.
“And– and then, and I only found out about this, like, this morning, apparently Scott gave him this really fancy netherite sword—” Cleo gapes, while the others echo ‘netherite?’ “—like, a week before he got cursed, and apparently in vampire culture, it’s, like, a thing to give a weapon to the person you’re trying to court?”
“Oh my god.” Sausage brings a hand up to cover his mouth.
“Right?? And Abolish didn’t use it, like, at all over the past six hundred years, because he, like, felt like it should be used to protect Scott.”
“Holy shit.” Drift whispers. “Oh my god, they’re so dating.”
“More than dating–” Cleo pulls herself further into the rapidly tightening circle, leaving her axe behind. “Shelby, a weapon isn’t just a courting gift, it’s a proposal. Scott asked Abolish to marry him.”
“Oh my god, you’re kidding.” Shelby’s jaw drops.
“No, I’m not, and Abolish using it to protect him?? That’s, like, basically saying you’re soulmates.”
“Holy fuck.” Sausage has his notebook out, scribbling something down with impressive speed.
“Wait, so, what do they even act like when it’s just you three?” Avid asks, pulling a little closer.
“Ohhh my god, Scott is, like, okay like he’s touchy, right? He’s a touchy guy, some kind of, like, mechanism, but he’s, like, weird with Abolish.”
“Weird how?” Drift urges her on, looking at her with a gleam in her eye.
“Like, he doesn’t really touch him any more or less, just… longer. Like he’ll ruffle my hair or pat my shoulder, but he, like, strokes Abolish’s head. I dunno, it’s kinda hard to explain, but it really feels like he’s just barely holding back from making out with him then and there at any given moment.”
“What about Abolish?” Pearl leans on her hand.
“He’s just as Abolish as ever, but he’s a little more blush-y.”
They all laugh.
“No, but really, he’s like, kinda sweet? His behavior doesn’t really change very much, but he smiles a lot more, and is way more willing to talk.”
“Oh, that’s kind of adorable, actually.” Drift coos.
“Isn’t it just? I—”
“Oh, it’s getting dark.” Cleo is looking up at the sky, like they just barely noticed.
“Oh.” Shelby looks up too. “I should get going, then. Thanks for, uh, listening to me, guys.”
“Don’t be a stranger, alright? Town’s not the same without ya.” Pearl put a hand on their shoulder, smiling.
“Yeah! I’ll come visit, promise!”
“I’m gonna need you to read my manuscript,” Sausage says, still writing things down with a fervor. “I’ll bet if I really focus I could get the outline done by morning.”
“Make sure you sleep!” she laughs. “I’ll see you guys around, okay?”
Shelby bids them all farewell, then shift into their bat form to fly back up to the castle, relief and joy sitting warm in their chest.